Celebrity Esthetician Sofie Pavitt Thinks You Should Be Freezing Your Toner
When superstar esthetician Sofie Pavitt released her skincare brand in early 2023, both her die-hard fans and those who had never heard her name quickly became obsessed. But it was no surprise to us—Pavitt has earned her reputation as New York City’s acne whisperer thanks to her signature deep-cleaning facials, which often have months-long waitlists. No longer just an NYC cool-girl secret, Pavitt is also a facial to the stars, regularly prepping celebs like Lorde and Zendaya for their red carpet appearances.
Her brand, Sofie Pavitt Face, was a natural progression of her in-office treatments, allowing her to offer her services that were previously relegated to NYC’s it-girls, editors, and celebrities to the world. Her first product, the Mandelic Clearing Serum, was an instant hit and introduced many to the healing powers of mandelic acid. Her second product, the Clean Clean Cleanser is the perfect non-stripping, no-nonsense gel cleanser that feels like a cream.
On September 5, she’s adding a third step to her Sofie Pavitt Face routine with her new Nice Ice Toner Pads—single-use toner capsules you freeze before application. Ahead, we dive into the inspiration and formula behind the product, plus my honest review.
The Inspiration
If you’ve ever scrolled through Pavitt’s Instagram, you know she’s a huge fan of icing for inflammation—both at-home and in studio. However, she wanted to make an easy way to access cryo treatments at home.
Sofie Pavitt Nice Ice
Sofie Pavitt Face
“I’m a huge fan of skin icing,” Pavitt tells Byrdie. “We stand behind this technique so hard in my own practice to help clients to bring down inflammation, calm irritation, and increase circulation.”
She adds that she “always wanted to develop a cryo toning treatment for clients to use at home. Ice rollers and tools are great, but they’re annoying to clean and store—I wanted to develop something super sanitary and easy to use—single-use—for my own clients.” Thus, Nice Ice was born.
Sofie Pavitt Nice Ice Toner
Sofie Pavitt Face Nice Ice Toner Pads $68.00
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The Formula
To Pavitt, “Nice Ice [is] your silver bullet against dull skin.” It can be used for everything from acne treatment, toning, and makeup prep, to soothing damaged skin and providing aftercare for intense clinical treatments like lasers and peels.
The product has four staple ingredients—glycerin, niacinamide, green tea extract, and ashwagandha—all of which are gentle, acne-friendly, and skin-soothing.
Glycerin is included to help improve the skin barrier with each use. Niacinamide is great for brightening skin, calming redness and fighting acne. Green tea extract acts as an antioxidant that reduces inflammation and skin irritation. Finally, Ashwagandha can protect the skin from environmental stresses and pollution, as well as help to condition the skin.
Model using Sofie pavitt face Nice Ice toner
Sofie Pavitt Face
Because all of these ingredients are gentle and play well with most active ingredients, there really is no limit to how often you can use Nice Ice. It can be used daily or more sporadically—Pavitt recommends once or twice a week—so long as it’s used on clean, dry skin and applied evenly across the face and neck.
Pavitt says she “tested and tested and tested this product with freeze-thaw/stability tests to make sure that the formula stayed active and was resistant to the cold temperatures of the freezer.” This means that not only do all of the ingredients hold up on ice, but they do their job, and then some thanks to the extra cryo benefits.
Sofie Pavitt Face Nice Ice Toner
Sofie Pavitt Face
Developing the product took over two years, with finding the right manufactures to make the unique packaging being the biggest challenge—Pavitt and her team were even “interviewing food and beverage factories at one point,” she says. Eventually though, they “found a manufacturer with the correct tooling to fill and assemble this innovative product.”
Pavitt says when freezing the innovative product, “make sure you store your Nice Ice box flat in the freezer: this ensures an even and perfect disc of cryo toning treatment.” She says she prefers to “press mine into a cotton round; that way, you catch any melted treatment in the cotton round after it melts onto the skin.”
She instructs to “use in circular motions all over face and neck, or wherever you have inflamed or irritated skin,” which could even go as far as being used “on waxed legs, after laser treatments, injectables, [and] micro needling.”
The Review
Zizi Strater trying Nice Ice Toner
@generationzizi
It really does feel nice to ice. I’ve just been reintroduced to toners thanks to TikTok, however, this one really stands out because of its genius idea. The cool touch of the ice instantly felt amazing on my skin and was incredibly refreshing, and I noticed my irritated breakouts loved it. After cleansing with my regular cleaners and toning with Nice Ice on a cotton pad, the redness from my acne was lowered and way less noticeable. I also just can’t get over how fun it is to use. I could see myself using Nice Ice regularly and would even go as far as to say it could be my new go-to toner.
DQH Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C?
It’s easy to create a skincare routine, but knowing how to use it is another thing entirely. In most cases, if you’re not getting the desired skin results, it could be due to the layering of conflicting ingredients. So, is it possible that salicylic acid and vitamin C are such ingredients? Or are these active ingredients the duo that’s been missing from your skincare routine? If you want answers, stick around because today we are going to explain the benefits of salicylic acid and vitamin C and how they can be used in your daily life.
What are the benefits of salicylic acid for skin?
Salicylic acid is one of the most commonly used beta hydroxy acids and is favored by many people with oily, acne-prone skin. This acid is derived from willow bark, and unlike its water-soluble relatives (called alpha-hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble, which means it can penetrate deeper into the lower layers of the skin. Once it reaches the lower layers, it can help unclog pores of excess sebum, dirt, bacteria, debris, and impurities. This results in clearer skin tones and greater definition.
Not only does salicylic acid benefit the underlying layers, but the outer surface of the skin benefits as well. When applied to the skin, salicylic acid removes the buildup of dead skin cells. This is accomplished by breaking the bonds that hold dead cells to the surface. Over time, this can cause the complexion to look dull and prone to acne, blackheads, and other blemishes.
If you’d like to learn more about salicylic acid and how it can improve your skin, check out this dedicated blog post from a beauty insider.
What are the benefits of vitamin C for skin?
Vitamin C is considered one of the most powerful antioxidants, which means it is very effective at fighting free radicals and preventing them from causing further skin damage. Examples of free radicals include pollution, central heating, UV rays and harsh climate. They attack proteins, fats and cell membranes as soon as they come into contact with the skin, causing signs of premature aging such as fine lines and wrinkles as well as hyperpigmentation, flaky patches of skin and loss of elasticity.
Many people usually prefer to use vitamin C in their morning routine as this ingredient gives the complexion a radiant glow. You’ll also find that vitamin C can target areas of hyperpigmentation, plumping the skin and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
The thing about vitamin C is that there are a lot of outdated studies going back to the 1950s that describe vitamin C as an unstable skin component. Thanks to improvements in modern technology, this is no longer the case as all products now contain a stable form of vitamin C.
Visit The Beauty Insider to learn more about vitamin C. So please check out our blog post.
Can I use salicylic acid first and then vitamin C?
Yes, you absolutely can. In fact, it’s thought that using salicylic acid before using vitamin C ensures it penetrates faster and works faster.
This is an efficient way to utilize two power sources, and the reason has to do with pH. For example, the skin’s natural pH is about 4.7, making it slightly acidic. Salicylic acid and vitamin C are also both acidic, and you’ll find that vitamin C is absorbed quickly into the skin. Therefore, using salicylic acid beforehand can increase the acidity of the skin and allow vitamin C to penetrate into the skin faster.
While this is considered an effective way to combine two powerful ingredients, you need to be aware of your skin type and how it reacts to certain active ingredients. Even people with perfect, normal skin can experience skin sensitivity and irritation. Therefore, always consult a doctor or dermatologist before using any new products on your skin.
It’s also important to follow skin application rules. In this case, you need to use the product correctly to ensure you get the best results for your skin. If you’re not sure what I mean, the basic rule for skin is to start with the thinnest consistency and work your way up to the thickest consistency. This prevents a barrier from forming on the surface, preventing other active ingredients from penetrating the skin.
Can I use salicylic acid at night and vitamin C in the morning?
Yes, absolutely, this is considered the most effective way to get returns without any adverse side effects. This is because there is enough time between applications to ensure that the skin’s pH levels return to balance.
You’ll also find that Vitamin C is rich in antioxidants and is perfect for use in the morning to ensure your skin is protected and looking its healthiest. Due to the small size of salicylic acid molecules, it is an acid that is able to reach the deepest parts of the skin. While this is effective at keeping skin clear, it also increases the risk of irritation and photosensitivity. Therefore, many people prefer to use powerful BHAs in their evening routine without exposure to UV rays, pollution, or harsh weather.
Warning: If you avoid using sunscreen every day, none of these ingredients will do what your skin needs. The combination of chemical peels and powerful ingredients increases the risk of further damage to the skin’s surface. Use SPF 50 every day to keep your skin protected and your lipid barrier healthy, even on cloudy days, keeping your skin in top condition.
